Mineral & Bone Disorder in Chronic Kidney Disease?

What is mineral and bone disorder in chronic kidney disease (CKD)?
Mineral and bone disorder in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a disorder that can affect the bones, heart, and blood vessels of a person with CKD. Mineral and bone disease occurs when kidneys damaged by CKD can’t filter blood NIH external link and regulate hormones the way they should. The hormone levels and levels of minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus, then become imbalanced, leading to damage.

Does mineral and bone disorder have other names?
Mineral and bone disorder in CKD is also called CKD Mineral and Bone Disorder, or CKD-MBD.

The bone disease component of mineral and bone disorder is called renal osteodystrophy.

Why are hormones and minerals important?
Healthy bones continuously rebuild. Hormones and minerals help bones stay strong. If your hormones and minerals are out of balance, your bones can become weak and misshapen.

How common is mineral and bone disorder?
More than 37 million Americans—about 1 in 7 adults—are estimated to have CKD. Anyone with CKD is likely to have some level of mineral and bone disorder.1 As kidney function declines, mineral and bone disorder progresses. The disorder is almost always found in the more than 785,000 Americans who have kidney failure and are either on dialysis or had a kidney transplant.2

Slowed bone growth and bone deformities
Damaged kidneys must work harder to remove phosphorus from your body. Buildup of phosphorus is associated with less calcium in your blood and with the release of PTH by your parathyroid glands. PTH moves calcium out of your bones and into your blood. The loss of calcium can harm your bones.

What are the symptoms of mineral and bone disorder?
Adults with mineral and bone disorder may feel bone and joint pain. However, these symptoms may not appear until a person has had the disorder for many years.

In children, mineral and bone disorder is particularly serious because their bones are still developing and growing. Unlike adults, children can show visible bone changes from mineral and bone disorder in the early stages of CKD. For example, they may not grow as expected—a condition known as growth failure—or their bones may become weak from lack of calcium.

Eating, diet, and nutrition
Changing what you eat and drink can help treat mineral and bone disorder. Eating fewer foods that contain phosphorus is one of the most important steps to help you prevent bone disease and blood vessel calcification.

Most foods contain some phosphorus. However, most processed and packaged foods, such as lunch meats and canned or boxed foods, contain high levels. Food producers use phosphorus as a food preservative. If you have CKD or are on dialysis, avoid packaged foods containing ingredients that include the letters “PHOS.”

Medicines and supplements
Medicines protect your bones and blood vessels by restoring the proper balance of minerals and hormones. If your kidneys don’t make adequate amounts of calcitriol, your health care professional may prescribe a variety of medicines, such as

Dialysis
If your kidneys no longer filter wastes and extra fluids from your body, your health care professional might recommend dialysis. The two forms of dialysis are hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

If you require dialysis, your health care team will monitor and adjust your nutrition, medicines, and supplements based on your ongoing blood tests. If you receive a kidney transplant, your team will reevaluate your nutrition and medicine.